1. Field of the Invention
Designs and methods to improve performance and biocompatibility aspects of batteries are described. In some examples, electrolytes are provided in a solid polymer form.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the number of medical devices and their functionality has begun to rapidly develop. These medical devices may include, for example, implantable pacemakers, electronic pills for monitoring and/or testing a biological function, surgical devices with active components, contact lenses, infusion pumps, and neurostimulators. Added functionality and an increase in performance to many of the aforementioned medical devices have been theorized and developed. However, to achieve the theorized added functionality, many of these devices now require self-contained energization means that are compatible with the size and shape requirements of these devices, as well as the energy requirements of the new energized components.
Some medical devices may include electrical components such as semiconductor devices that perform a variety of functions and may be incorporated into many biocompatible and/or implantable devices. However, such semiconductor components require energy and thus energization elements should preferably also be included in such biocompatible devices. The topology and relatively small size of the biocompatible devices may create challenging environments for the definition of various functionalities. In many examples, it may be important to provide safe, reliable, compact and cost-effective means to energize the semiconductor components within the biocompatible devices. Therefore, a need exists for biocompatible energization elements formed for implantation within or upon biocompatible devices where the structure of the millimeter- or smaller-sized energization elements provides enhanced function for the energization element while maintaining biocompatibility.
One such energization element used to power a device may be a battery. When using a battery in biomedical type applications, it may be important that the battery structure and design inherently provide resistance to incursions and excursions of materials. A polymer electrolyte battery design may afford such resistance. Therefore a need exists for novel examples of polymer electrolyte batteries that are biocompatible for use as biocompatible energization elements.